High pressure capable liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021033345-A1
Application number	US-201917040930-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 21, 2019
Priority date	Mar 23, 2018
Publication date	Feb 4, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger includes a coolant volume that is at least partially defined by a plastic housing and by a metal closure plate. The plastic housing is sealingly joined to the closure plate along an outer periphery of the closure plate. The metal closure plate can be part of a brazed assembly that defines a continuous refrigerant flow path through the heat exchanger between a refrigerant inlet port and a refrigerant outlet port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger comprising:
a coolant volume defined at least partially by a plastic housing and a metal closure plate, the plastic housing being sealingly joined to the closure plate along an outer periphery of the closure plate; a cylindrically shaped inlet manifold for a refrigerant flow arranged within the coolant volume; a cylindrically shaped outlet manifold for the refrigerant flow arranged within the coolant volume; a plurality of refrigerant conduits arranged within the coolant volume and extending between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold to convey the refrigerant flow from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold; an inlet fitting block joined to and extending through the closure plate, the inlet fitting block having a first portion arranged within the coolant volume and a second portion arranged outside of the coolant volume, the inlet manifold being joined to the first portion of the inlet fitting block; an outlet fitting block joined to and extending through the closure plate, the outlet fitting block having a first portion arranged within the coolant volume and a second portion arranged outside of the coolant volume, the outlet manifold being joined to the first portion of the outlet fitting block; a refrigerant inlet port arranged on the second portion of the inlet fitting block, the refrigerant inlet port being in fluid communication with an internal volume of the inlet manifold by way of a refrigerant flow path extending through the inlet fitting block; and a refrigerant outlet port arranged on the second portion of the outlet fitting block, the refrigerant outlet port being in fluid communication with an internal volume of the outlet manifold by way of a refrigerant flow path extending through the outlet fitting block.

2 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the closure plate, the inlet manifold, the outlet manifold, the plurality of refrigerant conduits, the inlet fitting block, and the outlet fitting block are joined together by braze joints to define a leak-free refrigerant flow path between the refrigerant inlet port and the refrigerant outlet port.

3 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet fitting block and the outlet fitting block is joined to both the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold.

4 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 3 , wherein the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold are each joined to both the inlet fitting block and the outlet fitting block.

5 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the inlet fitting block and the outlet fitting block each extend through flanged apertures in the closure plate.

6 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the plastic housing is sealingly joined to the closure plate by a peripheral crimp joint.

7 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of refrigerant conduits includes a plurality of sequentially arranged passes through the coolant volume, further comprising a plurality of coolant fins arranged between and joined to adjacent ones of the plurality of sequentially arranged passes.

8 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the coolant volume includes a coolant inlet portion arranged at a first end of the heat exchanger, a coolant outlet portion arranged at a second end of the heat exchanger opposite the first end, and a heat exchange portion arranged between the coolant inlet portion and the coolant outlet portion, the plurality of refrigerant conduits being arranged within the heat exchange portion of the coolant volume.

9 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of refrigerant conduits includes a plurality of sequentially arranged passes through the coolant volume, further comprising a plurality of coolant fins arranged between and joined to adjacent ones of the plurality of sequentially arranged passes.

10 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 9 , further comprising a first coolant baffle arranged between the coolant inlet portion and the heat exchange portion of the coolant volume and a second coolant baffle arranged between the coolant outlet portion and the heat exchange portion of the coolant volume, the first and the second coolant baffles each having an aperture that corresponds to an outer periphery of the plurality of coolant fins.

11 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 10 , wherein the closure plate, the inlet manifold, the outlet manifold, the plurality of refrigerant conduits, the inlet fitting block, the outlet fitting block, and the plurality of coolant fins are all joined together in a single brazing operation to define a brazed assembly, and wherein the first coolant baffle and the second coolant baffle are assembled to the brazed assembly prior to inserting the brazed assembly into the plastic housing.

12 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 10 , wherein the first and the second coolant baffles are each partially received within recessed grooves provided in the plastic housing.

13 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 8 , further comprising a coolant inlet port and a coolant outlet port, each formed as an integral part of the plastic housing, the coolant inlet port being configured to direct a flow of coolant into the coolant inlet portion of the coolant volume and the coolant outlet port being configured to receive a flow of coolant from the coolant outlet portion of the coolant volume.

14 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the plastic housing is sealingly joined to the metal closure plate by way of an elastomeric seal and a crimp joint extending along the outer periphery of the metal closure plate.

15 . The liquid to refrigerant heat exchanger of claim 14 , wherein the elastomeric seal is arranged within a gasket well provided by the plastic housing.

Assignees

• Modine Mfg Co

Inventors

• Kimmel Adam
• Hartke David
• Mross Gregory
• Welchner Daniela
• Steffen Michael

Classifications

• B60H1/2221 Primary

  arrangements of electric heaters for heating an intermediate liquid (B60H1/034 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F1/025

  with variable shape, e.g. with modified tube ends, with different geometrical features (F28F1/06, F28F1/08, F28F9/16, F28F9/18 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28F2009/224

  Longitudinal partitions · CPC title

• F28F2225/02

  for casings · CPC title

• F28F2275/122

  by crimping, caulking or clinching · CPC title